


monopoly of my heart

by thericeraven



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: 5+1 Things, Attempt at Humor, BokuAka Week 2020, Canon Compliant, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, akaashi sucks at laughing, bokuto is ceo of laughing at inappropriate moments, ft. akaashi’s ardent love of onigiri
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-07
Updated: 2020-08-07
Packaged: 2021-03-06 06:40:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,621
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25758982
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thericeraven/pseuds/thericeraven
Summary: Akaashi doesn't really laugh, even if he finds something funny.Bokuto is always laughing at everything, even if it's not funny.or, 5 times that Akaashi makes Bokuto laugh, and 1 time Bokuto makes Akaashi laugh.
Relationships: Akaashi Keiji/Bokuto Koutarou
Comments: 7
Kudos: 238
Collections: Bokuaka Week 2020





	monopoly of my heart

**Author's Note:**

> bit late for bokuaka week day 6 because I had shit to do but here we are

1.

Akaashi would, by no means, call himself humorous in any way.

He never spared a laugh for the jokes that other people told, sporting at most a small smile or giving an amused snort, and he certainly didn’t tell any of his own. He didn’t fool around or get up to antics like the rest of the team, or his classmates, or anyone his age really. He didn’t go out of his way just to make others laugh, or to make himself laugh.

That’s how it has always been for as long as he knew it.

Every time he hung out with a classmate or someone who wanted to get to know him, they were always slightly weirded out by how unmoved he seemed by anything funny. While they were howling with laughter or doubling over giggling until their stomach hurt, he was just sitting there staring with a slightly amused expression on his face. It wasn’t that he didn’t find things funny, they  _ were _ , but never enough to tear a laugh out of him. It was getting to be a problem for his social life.

So that’s why he was quite glad that Bokuto never felt any discomfort towards his lack of laughter. In fact, he had never really seen Bokuto feel uncomfortable towards any sort of social situation. Akaashi had started off knowing Bokuto as a seemingly unshakeable ace, one who found joy and laughter everywhere he went. There was no telling what he would laugh at, he just found everything a little bit funny. 

As if some invisible force was pulling him towards Bokuto, he started to hang out more with the other third-years on the team. Every single one of them welcomed Akaashi, though not as boisterously as Bokuto did. They were comfortable and easy and totally cool with him, even when he didn’t join in when they traded jokes and laughed with each other. They had made it a point to invite him to sit with them during lunch, and soon it became a habit of his that he didn’t quite understand either. 

Bokuto was always loud and noisy when they ate together. He loved every form of humor it seemed, from puns to knock-knock jokes to riddles and even crude humor. The other third-years were constantly entertained by his dramatic declarations and punchlines, the high of their laughter tiding them all the way through to the bell. He always lived for the thrill of telling a good joke, or making a funny face, and never seemed to be bothered by Akaashi’s lack of response. 

It didn’t seem like Bokuto was fazed by anything.

In fact, when Akaashi first admitted to him that he didn’t really laugh at anything, Bokuto  _ laughed _ .

_ Is he laughing at me _ ? Akaashi wondered as he stared unflinchingly at the ace, whose face was scrunched up with amusement.

“That’s amazing, Akaashi,” Bokuto managed to say, still shaking with laughter. “I’ve never met anyone like you before.”

Akaashi was stunned. 

Bokuto made it sound like this particular trait of his was  _ special _ somehow. 

“Sometimes I laugh when I’m not supposed to, but you never have to suffer the embarrassment of anything like that,” Bokuto pointed out. “I get into so much trouble for that.”

“That’s true,” Akaashi replied.

Akaashi would never admit it, but he secretly found it funny too when Bokuto laughed at a highly inappropriate situation. Once Bokuto had burst out laughing when his classmate tripped over a rubbish bin and went flying headfirst into the fountain, earning him an ugly look from said classmate when they stood up sopping wet and stomped off, and an amused side glance from Akaashi. It was ridiculously endearing even though it was not supposed to be.

He couldn’t say he understood Bokuto totally just yet. He was like a modern-day mystery — who even knew what went through his head when he was laughing at everything under the sun? His infectious joy was like a big, warm hug whenever he talked to Akaashi; it was a gift from the heavens above and the galaxy. He was a man of mystery, a spiker with secrets, all of which were hidden in that fucking beautiful laugh of his. Akaashi was quickly warming up to him. It was hard not to when Bokuto made him feel so warm and fuzzy inside. 

Akaashi always knew he liked Bokuto from the very start.

  
  


2.

Akaashi’s humor was what people called  _ dry _ .

Since he didn’t laugh at what the people laughed at, naturally people would assume that he wasn’t much for finding ridiculous or stupid things funny. But the truth was, a lot of those ridiculous and stupid things were constantly running through his head. It didn’t even have to be funny, it could be completely random and spontaneous. It just never showed up on his face or in his voice, so whenever he decided to voice out what he found funny, it took a very specific audience to partake in his humor.

And it just so happened that Bokuto was part of this very specific audience.

They had migrated outdoors to the little bench by the tree for lunch. The wind was caressing the leaves and the grass and their faces, threading through the wire link fence bordering the school field. There was hardly anybody around, which was a mystery to Akaashi given the lovely nature of the day.

He had packed a bento for himself and for Bokuto, who received it with gratitude. 

Akaashi sighed in relief. At least Bokuto wouldn’t be running off to the snack stall and getting himself a truckload of greasy and oily food today.

“Woah,” Konoha marvelled when Akaashi fished the lid off his bento.

The entire table had halted their usual routine of unpacking their various food and drink items to ogle Akaashi’s bentos, all eyes fixed on the beautifully-made onigiri lining the inside of the lunchbox, complete with tamagoyaki and sausage. 

“Aw, that looks really good,” Sarukui agreed.

Bokuto’s eyes shot wide open as he examined the onigiri. 

“This looks so perfect,” he whispered, as if any loud sound might disturb the sacred peace of the onigiri and send the entire bento unravelling. 

“Thank you,” Akaashi replied.

This wasn’t the first time he had made food for Bokuto, but the ace acted like he was equally impressed every time. He always thanked Akaashi profusely for the food, making a huge show of chewing and savoring every bite, much to the amusement of the setter. Bokuto must really like his food. 

“Hey, how come you never make lunch for us?” Konoha waggled his eyebrows in a knowing look, much to Akaashi’s mild chagrin.

“Yeah! You’re so lucky, Bokuto,” Komi chimed in with an equally suggestive tone.

“I know! Right?” Bokuto exclaimed, oblivious to their teasing. 

He finally took the first bite out of the onigiri. It was  _ katsuobushi _ onigiri, Bokuto’s personal favorite. Akaashi had spent enough time around Bokuto to know what kind of onigiri he liked and didn’t like, and although it was such a small thing it made him happy to know more about him. Even though onigiri was hardly a secret, he felt like he was the keeper of this little secret: Bokuto’s favorite onigiri.

Bokuto damn near gasped.

“This is heavenly!” he exclaimed, pulling a laugh out of Washio, who was seated directly across. “How did you make this onigiri taste so good, Akaashi?”

“I sold my soul to the devil and told him I wanted to make good onigiri,” Akaashi deadpanned with a completely straight face.

The entire bench lost it.

Bokuto was wheezing and gasping for air, his face reddening like he had lost all ability to breathe.

The rest of the third-years were chuckling (although not to the devastating extent of Bokuto), Konoha reaching over to clap Akaashi on the shoulder, his face contorted in amusement. Komi was making this weird half-choking and half-snorting sound. Washio had to set down his milk, and Sarukui had to turn away to hide his smile. It would seem that everyone was quite entertained by Akaashi’s response.

“The  _ devil _ !” Komi howled. “That’s good.”

“You’re funny, Akaashi,” Bokuto said, so genuinely that Akaashi really wanted to believe it.

He had simply said the first thing that popped into his head.

Bokuto had not stopped laughing, slapping his knees now like a demented seal.

It made Akaashi want to laugh along too.

But he settled for staring, no,  _ longingly _ staring at Bokuto.

Akaashi wanted to sigh.

Bokuto had a really great laugh.

  
  


3.

The convenience store door dinged when they entered.

The rush of cool air pulled a sigh out of Bokuto as he waddled over to the drinks section. He could really use a refreshing drink running down his throat now to drown out the sweltering heat of the sun outside. 

Akaashi chose to look around in the instant food section. He wasn’t the biggest fan of instant food, but he could see the appeal. It was convenient, and easy to prepare. Some days when he was swamped with homework and unable to lift a finger to make food, he would pull out something from his growing stash of instant food and heat it up. 

He started coming to this convenience store every time training ended with Bokuto to replenish his stash. It was the closest one to both their homes, plonked in the middle of their daily walk home, and had a variety of good food that Akaashi had taken it upon himself to get familiar with. If there was anything that Keiji liked, it was familiarity. 

“Akaashi! Do you want a drink?”

“It’s okay, Bokuto-san.”

“Hey, my treat!” Bokuto said earnestly.

Akaashi smiled. This was familiar.

“Okay, I want red tea.”

“Red tea coming right up!” Bokuto flashed him a smile.

Akaashi wondered if it was too soon to plan his funeral.

He quickly redirected his attention to the food shelves, trying to pick out something to eat. It was getting too late for him to cook a proper dinner, and his parents were out anyway, so something from the convenience store would have to do. 

He looked through the row of packaged onigiri. The convenience store onigiri was much different from the ones he was used to making, but they weren’t  _ bad _ per se. Just different. There was a consistency to it that separated it from homemade onigiri, and honestly Akaashi didn’t mind it at all. Onigiri was onigiri, it didn’t have to be the best onigiri for him to enjoy it, although he very much enjoyed a good, handmade onigiri.

Something stood out amongst the row of mostly black and white triangular packaging. 

It was brown and white and had eyes.

Akaashi pulled out the special edition onigiri from behind his usual selection.

He raised an eyebrow.

Without a moment of hesitation, he held it in his hands and crossed the store to where Bokuto was still trying to decide on his drink.

Bokuto turned to him, confused, and that’s when Akaashi placed the object gingerly in his hand.

Bokuto looked down.

The heavens shook and the ground trembled.

“Woah!!!!”

Bokuto was beside himself with glee, yelping out exclamations of amusement as he marvelled at the onigiri that Akaashi had handed to him. Just when Akaashi thought he had lost steam, the peals of laughter picked up again and then he was snorting and doubling over clutching at his stomach and gasping for air. The convenience store cashier was staring their way now, looking quite shocked.

Akaashi would’ve found it in him to be concerned if this was someone else, but he had gotten used to the familiar bright, noisy laugh-snort that Bokuto always did when he found something funny.

It was an owl-shaped onigiri, complete with cute eyes and a beak printed on the plastic packaging. It was the cutest thing that Bokuto had ever seen (besides Akaashi, of course, but he didn’t have to know that).

“I love this!” Bokuto gawked, beside himself with glee.

Akaashi smiled. 

“You have to get it,” Bokuto said, serious. “It’s an  _ owl _ onigiri, you don’t see that everyday.”

“Okay, I’ll buy it,” Akaashi said, offering a small smile.

When he was home later that evening unwrapping the owl onigiri, he thought of Bokuto’s laughter ringing through the caverns of his yearning heart.

4.

The sound of the ball ricocheting off the floor echoed through the gym.

The place exploded with cheering.

They had  _ won _ . Fukurodani won.

Akaashi was dripping with sweat and breathing hard, but he had never felt better.

The entire place filled with the team’s errant whooping, and the congratulations and yelling and clapping and screaming coming from the stands with everyone who had come to watch them play. But Akaashi wasn’t listening to them. All he could hear was the sound of Bokuto laughing. 

Bokuto was doing a little victory dance, practically glowing with pure joy. A hearty guffaw tore from his throat as he pumped his fists in the air and spun all around. It was the funniest and the most heartwarming sight, a great contrast from the dejected pre-game Bokuto who looked like he could use one of Akaashi’s pep talks that he only reserved for his closest friend.

Akaashi smiled. God, that laugh was like music to his ears.

“Akaashi!!! We won,” Bokuto whooped, slapping him on the back.

“So we did, Bokuto-san.”

“You were great! You tossed me that last ball and I saw it stop right there and it was like time slowed down and I  _ knew  _ it was the one and when I hit it, it was so satisfying,” Bokuto rambled on. “We did it!”

“I nearly fell giving you that toss,” Akaashi said.

Bokuto laughed again.

“Be more careful, Akaashi,” he said through his laughter.

Akaashi smiled, amused. Sure, he had tossed that last ball, but to hear Bokuto giving him credit for helping them win always made him smile. He didn’t really find himself the centre of attention when playing volleyball, but Bokuto was always pulling him into the spotlight with him. It was,  _ moving _ , to say the least.

“We did it!” Bokuto howled again, leaping up into the air.

“We did it,” Akaashi affirmed.

He dashed through the crowd and high-fived all their teammates, laughing and yelling all the way.

As Akaashi watched him go, he felt a fire burning bright in the center of his heart.

  
  


5.

Akaashi walked into the third-year classroom, feeling vastly out of place.

Bokuto’s was slumped against his desk, the curve of his back rising and falling as he slept. 

It was no wonder he didn’t answer any of the team’s calls, or show up to lunch for that matter.

“Bokuto-san.”

No response.

“ _ Bokuto-san _ ,” Akaashi said, a little louder.

Bokuto was still sound asleep.

“Bokuto-san, wake up.” Akaashi poked a finger into his shoulder.

How was he still asleep?

Akaashi started whacking the back of Bokuto’s head (gently, of course) until he finally rose from his slumber. He looked around wildly, wondering what time he was, where he was, and what his name was. Then his eyes finally fell on Akaashi, which lit up his face with a bright grin. 

“Akaashi!” Bokuto sat up, leaning back in his chair. “What are you doing here?”

“You weren’t answering any of our calls,” Akaashi explained.

“Ah! Sorry, I was sleeping,” Bokuto yawned. “Didn’t sleep too well last night so I fell asleep today.

“We were worried,” Akaashi continued.  _ I was worried _ .

“So sorry,” Bokuto apologized sheepishly. “I would’ve gone to find all of you if I was awake.”

“That’s okay,” Akaashi said. “Are you feeling more rested now?”

“Yeah,” Bokuto said, rubbing his eyes blearily.

“Here, I brought you food.

Akaashi unearthed another bento from his school bag, placing it carefully on the table. 

“For me?” Bokuto’s eyes widened.

“Who else?” Akaashi said, his eyes twinkling.

“Thank you, Akaashi! You’re amazing, this is amazing, everything you do is amazing,” Bokuto exclaimed, drawing stares from several of his classmates. 

“Anything for you, Bokuto-san,” Akaashi said. “Now eat up, you’ll get hungry in class later if you don’t.”

Bokuto grinned, and opened the bento.

“You guys are so cute together,” a classmate of Bokuto’s, Ito-san (if Akaashi remembered right), leaned over and said.

For a moment, Akaashi wondered if she was joking or simply teasing, but her voice was genuine and honest, and her face showed nothing but admiration and respect.

“Together?” Bokuto asked through his rice.

Akaashi was stuck for words.

Bokuto nearly choked when he realized what she meant.

By the time Akaashi had turned to look at him, Bokuto was already doubling over in laughter. 

It was loud and grating and everything that Bokuto’s laugh usually wasn’t.

“We’re not together!” Bokuto corrected. “Why would we be together? That’s crazy!”

“Oh! So sorry, guess I was mistaken, please don’t be offended.” Ito apologized and promptly turned around in embarrassment, flashing an apologetic look at Akaashi.

_ That’s crazy _ . 

The words rang through Akaashi’s head, Bokuto’s laughing getting further and further away. 

Akaashi couldn’t say anything.

“Together! Pftttttt,” Bokuto continued, laughing nervously.

The same laughter that had been the joy of his life, the light during his darker days, the absolute beacon of hope to look forward to for a new day — now it was just a stab through Akaashi’s heart.

Before Bokuto could say anything that would hurt him more, Akaashi turned to leave.

He wanted to cry.

+1

“Akaashi!”

Akaashi didn’t look back.

“Akaashi, come back!”

Akaashi refused. 

“Akaashi, please! Talk to me,” Bokuto cried out as he ran after the setter through the corridors.

People were staring at him now, but Akaashi could care less as he felt the hot tears start to well up behind his eyes. He hurried his steps, clenching his fists as he took off down the hallway. He wanted to just curl up into a ball and close his eyes until the world went away. He had to get away from here, he had to get away from  _ Bokuto _ .

Bokuto thought it was  _ crazy _ that they would be together.

He ducked into the empty gym, hoping to lose Bokuto here, but it was to no avail.

“Akaashi,” Bokuto said again, this time much sadder than before.

Akaashi remained silent, refusing to even look at Bokuto.

“I didn’t mean to laugh,” Bokuto tried to explain. “I wasn’t laughing at you, I swear!”

Akaashi flashed him a hurt look.

“Please let me apologize,” Bokuto pleaded, trying to reach out for Akaashi.

Akaashi shuffled away from him, but he looked up anyway.

“I’m so sorry if my classmate offended you,” Bokuto said, his eyes flooded with panic. “I didn’t know she would say something like that, and I panicked and started laughing. Please, I really wasn’t laughing at you, you have to know that.”

“I know,” Akaashi said pointedly. He could feel the tears coming back. 

“Are you offended?” Bokuto asked. There was something quiet and sad and  _ hurting _ in his voice. “Offended by the idea of us being...together?”

Akaashi let out a bitter snort.

“Of course not, Bokuto-san,” he said through clenched teeth.

He knew it wasn’t Bokuto’s fault. There was no earthly reason that Bokuto should feel obligated to love someone like him back. It was a reach at most, that he thought that one day Bokuto might just like him back, that he might share the same feelings. It had been the best days of his life, nursing his growing crush on Bokuto, hearing that beautiful laugh and watching that beautiful smile. But the pain was taking over his heart and it was getting harder and harder to think straight, and Akaashi just really needed to be alone right now-

“I panicked, because I like you.” 

Akaashi whipped around so fast that he almost sprained his neck.

“I like you so much, Akaashi,” Bokuto launched into a ramble, looking at the ground. “I didn’t want you to find out and I was so worried that I started laughing. There’s something wrong with me, I didn’t know how to respond but to  _ laugh _ , and I was really trying to stop and I saw you look so sad and I just-”

There was a sound.

Akaashi made a sound.

It sounded like something between choking and wheezing.

“Akaashi…?” Bokuto asked, concerned.

Akaashi was shaking now, the sound tearing through his being as he let it out. 

Bokuto liked him back. He fucking liked him back.

He was so relieved that he just sunk down onto his knees, the sound continuing to make its way out of his mouth and escaping a little prison inside his heart where he had been keeping the secret of him liking Bokuto locked up for so long. 

It was ridiculous.

Akaashi was laughing.

He was laughing so hard that tears were streaming down his face, tears of joy and relief and frustration that it had taken this  _ goddamn _ long for them to admit their feelings.

“Akaashi, are you okay…?” Bokuto asked again, unnerved.

“I am, I really am,” Akaashi gasped between laughing.

“You’re laughing!” Bokuto was caught off guard. “You’re really laughing!”

Before he knew it, Bokuto was laughing too.

They were laughing so hard that it shot off the walls and bounced back to them. 

They were laughing so hard that their stomachs hurt and their lungs ached.

They were laughing so hard that their face was going to be sore the next time they smiled.

And smile Akaashi did.

“I like you too, Bokuto-san.”

Bokuto’s eyes shot wide open, wider than ever.

“Koutarou,” he said. “Call me Koutarou.”

“Okay, Koutarou,” Akaashi said, unable to keep the smile off his face.

He was still laughing.

They were going to be okay.

**Author's Note:**

> akaashi: *laughs*  
> bokuto: (visibly unnerved)
> 
> here are my [socials](https://thericeraven.carrd.co)


End file.
